Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register NEW YORK, Aug 5 (Reuters) – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, said on Friday he has begun sending buses carrying migrants to New York in an effort to push responsibility for border crossings on Democratic mayors and US President Joe Biden. a democrat. The first bus arrived early Friday at the city’s Port Authority Bus Terminal in midtown Manhattan, carrying about 50 migrants. Volunteers helped direct people who didn’t have relatives in town to town resources. “Most of them have no one to help them. They don’t know where to go, so we take them to shelters,” said a volunteer at the bus station, Evelyn Zapata, from a group called Grannies Respond. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register A family of four from Colombia, who ended up at a homeless shelter in the Bronx, wasn’t sure where they would spend the night. Byron and Leidy, both 28, said they left the country’s capital Bogota because they were struggling to find work. They did not give their last name. “It’s a bit easier to get into the country now, before it was very difficult to come here with children,” said Lady, who traveled with her children Mariana, 7, and Nicholas, 13. He said the family was hoping for someone he knew. New York would accept them, but this plan did not succeed. “We came here because they said they would help us find a place to sleep so we wouldn’t have to stay on the street,” Leidy said. Abbott, who is seeking a third term as governor in November’s election, has already sent more than 6,000 immigrants to Washington since April in a broader effort to crack down on illegal immigration and call out Biden for his more welcoming policies. read more Biden took office in January 2021 pledging to reverse many of the hardline immigration policies of his Republican predecessor, former President Donald Trump, but some efforts have been blocked in court. Abbott said New York City Mayor Eric Adams could provide services and housing to the new arrivals. “I hope he keeps his promise to welcome all immigrants with open arms so that our overwhelmed and overwhelmed border towns can find relief,” Abbott said in a statement. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, another Republican, followed Abbott’s lead and drove another 1,000 buses to Washington. US border officials have made record numbers of arrests under Biden, though many are repeat arrests. Some immigrants who cannot be quickly deported to Mexico or their countries of origin under a COVID-era policy are allowed to enter the United States, often to file asylum claims in U.S. immigration court.
“POLITICAL PAWNS”
Adams’ office has criticized busing efforts to Washington in recent weeks, saying some immigrants were headed for New York and were overwhelming the homeless shelter system. On Friday, Mayor Fabien Levy’s spokesman said Abbott was using “human beings as political pawns,” calling it a “disgusting and shameful stain on the state of Texas.” Levy said New York will continue to “welcome asylum seekers with open arms, as always, but we’re asking for resources to do so,” asking for support from federal officials. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser has also said her city’s housing system has been taxed by immigrant arrivals and last month called on the Biden administration to deploy military troops to help welcome immigrants, a request that has frustrated officials of the White House. read more A US defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had rejected a request for the D.C. National Guard to help transport and welcome migrants to the city because it would hurt troop readiness. . Many migrants arrive after long and difficult journeys to South America. Venezuelan immigrant Jose Gregorio Forero said that before traveling for more than a day by bus from Texas, he had crossed eight countries. “It took me 31 days to get here, walking and asking for rides,” he said, saying he was happy to be in New York where he believed there would be more job opportunities. New York, he said, “is very beautiful. I like it.” Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Reporting by Sofia Ahmed in New York and Ted Hesson in Washington. Additional reporting by Idrees Ali in Washington, Roselle Chen and Dan Fastenberg in New York. Edited by Mica Rosenberg and Daniel Wallis Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
